Paint, Study, Travel, Love, Puppies, Repeat

What did you know about yourself when you were really young? You knew something was different. The way you looked at the world? Your personal expression? Or how you process things? What was it?

For me, I knew a traditional life would never fit. A memory of crying inconsolably when I was 14 or 15: I didn’t want to grow up. I loved my parents, but their life didn’t look like anything I wanted to sign up for. Theirs was a traditional life: married young, three kids to care for before you know it. Dinner time was sacred time, at around 5:30 every night, followed by some TV time, repeat. It all felt really claustrophobic and I didn’t have a reference point for other options.

Florence is female. No doubt about it. She’s beautiful at every turn.

Hello, gorgeous.

It feels like every window in Florence is a work of art.

Growing up didn’t sound very good to me in light of the options I saw. When I told my Mom she simply said, “Well, then, choose something different.” Boom. Bless her heart! That was an option? Then sign me up.

Feeling that Italian glow!

I was born, I decided, in that moment, and in my heart, committed to living outside the box.

So it was I found myself relieved that I didn’t have to settle down and have kids. I could travel and pursue art or whatever I wanted. And so it is that I’ve found myself in an unconventional life of art, travel, study, a dog that’s the closest thing to settling me down, but I like it. And a husband who gets me, who I adore both traveling with and returning home to, and am so glad that I get the opportunity to miss him sometimes.

Stepping into the old school tradition of making art.

All this to say, next week at this time, I’ll be writing you from Florence, Italy, a place I’m starting to think of as a second home — or at the very least, a favorite pair of gloves perfectly worn in and very comfortable. Last year, while studying there, I discovered the Florence Studio and I fell in love. It was a classical atelier, which means “workshop” or “artists’ studio.” But it’s really about a classical approach to teaching art. It’s about the formulas that work. It’s about getting it right before expression.

Ever the student.

Trust me, I live for expression in art, but what I have found through time is the more classically trained you are, the more tools you have in your toolbox to express yourself. So I’m looking forward to this time of study, and I hope you come along with me.

I look forward to sharing art, wine, food and adventures with you. I get so excited when my friends travel, to see their photos and live through their experiences a bit. I hope some of you feel the same and can take a mini vacation with me!

Where are your favorite places to go and why? I love hearing from you! Let’s chat on Facebook and Instagram.